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‘Life without Grannie…’: Prince William grieves death of Queen Elizabeth II
William was bestowed with the title of Prince of Wales – and his wife Kate Princess of Wales – after the death of Queen Elizabeth and the automatic accession of Charles III as king.
The Prince and Princess of Wales – William and Kate – on Saturday released a statement on the passing of their ‘Grannie’, saying “all of the sadness” they will feel in the weeks to come “will be testament to the love we felt for our extraordinary Queen”.
Prince William, the eldest son of Charles III and heir to the throne, and with his wife Kate were bestowed upon the title of ‘Prince and Princess of Wales' soon after Charles III became Britain's new king, passing on the titles that he and his late wife Diana previously held.
Charles, who held the title since 1958, automatically became King on the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth, on Thursday. He was officially proclaimed as the King earlier today in a colourful ceremony laden with pageantry and tradition.
Read more | When will King Charles III's coronation take place: All you need to know
“On Thursday, the world lost an extraordinary leader, whose commitment to the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth was absolute…I, however, have lost a grandmother. And while I will grieve her loss, I also feel incredibly grateful. I have had the benefit of The Queen's wisdom and reassurance into my fifth decade,” William said in a statement.
Speaking about the time Kate and their three children spent with the Queen, he wrote, “My wife has had twenty years of her guidance and support. My three children have got to spend holidays with her and create memories that will last their whole lives. She was by my side at my happiest moments. And she was by my side during the saddest days of my life.”
“I knew this day would come, but it will be some time before the reality of life without Grannie will truly feel real,” he went on to say.
The state funeral for Queen Elizabeth II – Britain's longest-reigning monarch – will be held on Monday, September 19, royal officials announced on Saturday. Elizabeth's coffin will leave her Scottish estate on Sunday and be driven by hearse through remote highland villages to Scotland's capital, Edinburgh, pausing during its six-hour journey to allow people to pay their respects, the palace said.
Elizabeth II's funeral will also be marked as a public holiday in Britain.
